Rapid Structure–Property Analysis of Block Copolymer Libraries

Project Description

Block copolymers are an important class of materials that self-assemble into a variety of nanoscale morphologies with widespread applications. Block sequence, monomer design, and architecture play key roles in their self-assembly, but the vast design space complicates the exploration of structure– property relationships. This project focuses on a versatile and scalable strategy based on a combination of controlled polymerization and automated chromatography to accelerate the discovery of block copolymer phase behavior on multigram scales with excellent mass recovery. Fractionation of a small number of as-synthesized samples gives rise to large polymer libraries spanning a wide range of compositions. Small angle X-ray scattering reveals fractionation significantly enhances long-range order compared to as-synthesized materials and enables the preparation of detailed phase diagrams. This user-friendly and scalable automated separation strategy coupled with controlled polymerization significantly increases the availability of well-defined diblock and higher order multiblock copolymer libraries which are designed to tune the structures and properties of soft materials.

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